How much a women exercises and how much she weighs could determine her risk factors for breast cancer. But among breast cancer survivors, is a woman is being obese or overweight it can increase their chances of a recurrence.

"Women that are over weight or obese they increase the risk of developing breast cancer in the uninfected breast and people that have breast cancer and are over weight or obese they double the risk of a recurrence with in 5 years," Dr. Lucille Adams-Campbell, the associate director for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research at Lombardi, told us.

Previous studies have shown that black women breast cancer patients are more likely to be obese and gain weight during treatment. But little is known about how to help these women achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Dr. Campbell said, "We know if you reduce your weight you will improve your health outcomes when it comes to diabetes, heart disease many other issues that come up in the rise in the black community."

So she and Georgetown colleague Dr. Vanessa B. Sheppard, an assistant professor of Oncology, have designed a 12 week clinical trial to help improve exercise levels and diet in black women. The trial is called Stepping Stones: Survivors Taking On Nutrition and Exercise.

'Women in our intervention group will have the opportunity to participate in group education classes and in those groups sessions they will exercise with other survivors," Dr. Vanessa Sheppard said. "They will also receive cooking classes, recipes and information about proper nutrition.

Participants in the trial will also get individualized phone counseling sessions led by a survivor coach at Lombardi.

To be eligible to participate in the trail you must meet this list of criteria:

African American or black

Not currently participating in an exercise program

Over 21-years-old

Within 6-months to 5-years post cancer treatment

Overweight

Both Dr. Sheppard and Dr. Campbell are very excited about this opportunity for the trial and see how the results can help women in the future.

You can sign up to participate in "Stepping Stone: Survivors Taking on Nutrition and Exercise clinical trial but contacting, Dr. Juleen Christopher at 202- 687- 0848.